The area known as Delmarva is located along the east coast and includes the state of Delaware along with the eastern shore counties of Maryland and Virginia. The peninsula is bordered by the Chesapeake Bay, Delaware River, Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, and while we are just a few hours from many major cities such as D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia, we are definitely a distinctive place. "Community • Local • Together We Accomplish More"

Monday, February 13, 2017

So I set out online to find some amusing images and greetings of affection and love for tomorrow, Valentine's Day. The other half is out of town and from time to time the way we show our devotion to one another is to post multiple greetings and well-wishes for a special occasion. Granted sometimes it goes overboard and turns into a competition to see who can post more than the other (that's his only child syndrome I think, ha ha), so it never hurts for me to be prepared with a wide variety of material. But as I Googled and Pinterest(ed), the odder and stranger the designs of greetings from yesterday became. Now I was aware that back in the day, February 14th was considered a big "to do" and a much-enjoyed celebration for all, but somehow for much of my adult years, the true scope of this holiday had slipped past me. Once I began finding gems like these however.....

.....I got sucked right in to the world of hearts, puns and witty comments of decades ago. I felt a little like Alice having fallen down the rabbit hole, wondering if these greetings were met with blushing admiration, giggles or romantic gestures? Apparently at one time expressing affections or intentions towards an object of your desire took on playful tone and lighthearted style of messages. Check out this article which offers a complete history of Valentine's through the years: "In the 1910s the Hall Brother’s Company began printing their own versions of the Valentine’s card, a company which later morphed into Hallmark, still going strong on the Valentine’s front today. During the Roaring Twenties bright young things would send teasing cards with flirtatious rather than overtly romantic messages. The American Depression and post-war gloom changed the light-hearted tone to something more earnest during the 1930s, with more muted colours in keeping with the prevailing mood of the time."

History of the Valentine's Card: Valentine greetings have been popular since the Middle Ages, a time when prospective lovers said or sang their romantic verses. Written valentines began to appear after 1400. Paper valentines originated in the 1500s, being exchanged in Europe and being given in place of valentine gifts and oral or musical valentine greetings. They were particularly popular in England. The first written valentine (formerly known as "poetical or amorous addresses") is traditionally attributed to the imprisoned Charles, Duke of Orleans, in 1415. While confined in the Tower of London after the Battle of Agincourt, the young Duke reportedly passed his time by writing romantic verses for his wife in France. Approximately sixty of the Duke's poems remain and can be seen among the royal papers in the British Museum. They are credited with being the first modern day valentines.